Effects of Different Strategies Adopted by Rural Women on their Food Security in Oyo State

The study assessed the effects of different strategies adopted by rural women on their food securityin Oyo State. Multistage sampling procedure was adopted for this research work. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binomial logit model. Majority (93.5 percent) of the sampled women were married, while 6.5 percent of them were widowed. The mean age was 49 years. Backyard farming (= -1.000333343) had a negative but significant relationship to household food insecurity while reduction of meals (= 1.312270792) had a positive and significant relationship to household food insecurity. It was recommended that, program aimed at reducing poverty should be implemented in other to ensure that households were able to afford adequate mealsalso; backyard farming should be encouraged among rural women

Seed yam tuber production from vine cuttings

Seed yam tuber production accounts for 30 per cent to 50 per cent of total cost of production. Efforts to obtain seed yam tubers from vine cuttings are still rudimentary, and research information available is scanty and sparse. Studies to compare the effectiveness of vine cuttings for seed yam tuber production were conducted in 2010 at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria, with a clone of Dioscorea rotundata (white yam) TDr 95/18544. Vine cuttings (VCs), with one node, one leaf, and 10 – 15 cm long were cut from the middle portion of the stems of 90-days old mother plants. Healthy VCs were planted singly in a rooting medium, and the rooted VCs were transplanted to the field at 40 days after planting, and harvested 110 days after transplanting when the leaves had senesced. Screenhouse-derived plants (SDP) originated from tissue culture have a higher survival percentage than cuttings from field-derived plants (FDP). Higher shoot formation was also observed in SDP whilst no shoot from FDP. Mean yield of tubercles from SDP was 8.5 times higher (P = 0.05) than yield from FDP. The mean percentage change in the yield of tubercles obtained from the cut mother plants and the uncut mother plants was 16 times more in SDP than FDP. Production of healthy seed yam tuber is possible using healthy mother plants for vine cuttings

Reversal of Sodium Arsenite Inhibition of Rat Liver Microsomal Ca2+ Pumping ATPase by Vitamin C

Sodium arsenite (NaAsO2), at 10% of its median lethal dose, was administered to rats with and without vitamin C pretreatment. Liver microsomal fraction was isolated and the activity of Ca2+-ATPase was assayed. Sodium arsenite was found to inhibit the activity of the liver microsomal Ca2+-ATPase to 50% to that of control rats. The specific activity of the enzyme in rats administered sodium arsenite with vitamin C pretreatment was not significantly different from that of control rats

Iron-Induced Oxidative Stress in Erythrocyte Membranes of Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetic Nigerians

The presence of higher level of endogenous free radical reaction products in the erythrocyte ghost membrane (EGM) of Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) subjects compared with that of normal healthy controls has been demonstrated. The EGMs of NIDDM subjects were also shown to be more susceptible to exogenously generated oxidative stress than those of normal healthy individuals. The decreased level of reactive thiol groups in the EGM of NIDDM individuals supported this observation. We propose that the presence of significant levels of non-heme iron in the EGM of NIDDM subjects is an indication of the potential for iron-catalysed production of hydroxy and other toxic radicals which could cause continuous oxidative stress and tissue damage. Oxygen free radicals could therefore be responsible for most of the erythrocyte abnormalities associated with non-insulin-dependent diabetes and could indeed be intimately involved in the mechanism of tissue damage in diabetic complications

Savings-Growth Nexus Revisited: An Empirical Analysis from Nigeria

This study re-visits the ongoing debate on the savings-growth nexus in developing countries, taking into account the significance of the unique characteristics of the pre- and post-democratic dispensations in Nigeria as a case study. A multivariate VECM Causality test for pre- and post-democracy samples were carried out using data covering the period of 19 years (1981 to 1999) for pre- democracy and 20 years (2000 to 2019) for post-democracy era. In the short run, we discovered that there was no significant causal relationship between savings and growth during the pre-democracy period but there exists a unidirectional causality running from savings to growth in the post-democracy period. However, we found a bidirectional causal relationship between savings and growth in the long run for both pre-and post-democracy periods. Therefore, this study concluded that savings causes economic growth in post democracy period in line with Mill–Marshall–Solow school of thought (short-run period) while both savings and growth reinforce each other in the long-run for both periods. Thus, we recommend that Nigerian policy-makers and government should embark on monetary policies that would increase deposit rates to encourage more savings so as to mobilize funds from surplus-side to the deficit-side of the economy for productive investments and at the same time come up with a regulation that would reduce off-balance sheet activities of most financial institutions in the country

Antimicrobial Activities of Some Nigerian Chewing Sticks

The antimicrobial activities of the ethanolic extracts of three Nigerian chewing sticks, namely, Terminalia glaucescens, Anogeissus leiocarpus and Pseudocedrela kotschyi were investigated. Results from this study showed that the antimicrobial activities of the tested chewing sticks vary and are target-microbe specific. Of the tested chewing sticks, A. leiocarpus showed a significantly higher antibacterial activity (P\u3c0.05) against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes; and this was closely followed by T. glaucescens, while P. kotschyi virtually had no activity against these two organisms. However, the activity of T. glaucescens against Streptococcus mutans was significantly higher (P\u3c0.05) than that exhibited by A. leiocarpus. The extracts of the three chewing sticks had no activity against Candida albicans. The antibacterial activities of these two potent chewing sticks made them suitable for better dental care

Thermal and pressure stability of myrosinase enzymes from black mustard (Brassica nigra L. W.D.J Koch. var. nigra), brown mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern. var. juncea) and yellow mustard (Sinapsis alba L. Subsp Maire) seeds

This study investigates the effects of temperature and pressure on inactivation of myrosinase extracted from black, brown and yellow mustard seeds. Brown mustard had higher myrosinase activity (2.75 un/mL) than black (1.50 un/mL) and yellow mustard (0.63 un/mL). The extent of enzyme inactivation increased with pressure (600-800 MPa) and temperature (30-70 °C) for all the mustard seeds. However, at combinations of lower pressures (200-400 MPa) and high temperatures (60-80 °C), there was less inactivation. For example, application of 300 MPa and 70 °C for 10 minutes retained 20%, 80% and 65% activity in yellow, black and brown mustard, respectively, whereas the corresponding activity retentions when applying only heat (70 °C, 10min) were 0%, 59% and 35%. Thus, application of moderate pressures (200-400 MPa) can potentially be used to retain myrosinase activity needed for subsequent glucosinolate hydrolysis

Gender Inequality in Academia: A Spatial Analysis of Selected Tertiary Institutions in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Gender inequality is a situation whereby females do not have equal rights, opportunities, responsibilities and access to services as males. This paper presents reasons for gender imbalance among academic members of staff in three selected tertiary institutions in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study identified the number of males as against females in academia; examined the perception of respondents on the causes of gender inequality in academia; assessed the various way to encourage young women academics; evaluated the challenges facing females in academia; and the benefits derived from female participation in academia. A total number of 194 respondents comprising 101 male and 93 female academic members of staff were purposively sampled in three tertiary institutions in Ilorin. These institutions represent 50% of government tertiary institutions at different levels in Ilorin. The institutions included Kwara State College of Education, Kwara State Polytechnic and University of Ilorin. Percentages, mean, Likert scale and chi-square were employed to analyse the gathered data. The results revealed that there are more male (76.1%) than female (23.9%) academic staff in the sampled institutions. The major perceived factor that causes imbalance is inadequate qualification by females due to tradition and poverty with a mean value of 4.30. The hypothesis tested confirmed that there is gender imbalance in academia. Also, 48.4% women listed family responsibilities as the most pressing challenge facing them as academia. Hence, proper education through seminars and workshops among communities to educate people on the benefits of female gender education and employment in academia is necessary.DOI: http://doi.org/10.31357/fhss/vjhss.v05i02.0

Geoelectric Investigation Of Araromi Area Of Akure, Southwestern Nigeria

Geoelectric resistivity sounding has been carried out at Araromi area, Akure, southwest Nigeria, an area underlain by Basement complex rocks. Eighteen wenner vertical electrical sounding were carried out along six traverses. Three geologic units which are Topsoil/Laterite, weathered Basement and fresh Basement were identified. Isopach, corrosivity, total longitudinal conductance, iso-resistivity and coefficient of anisotropy maps were generated from the combination of the first and second order geoelectric parameters. Isopach map of overburden revealed bedrock depressions, which serve  as groundwater collection center. The longitudinal conductance map enabled the classification of the area into zones of good (0.7-1.0),moderate (0.2-0.65) an weak protective capacity(0.15).The results not only reasonably provide a basis for which groundwater potential zones were appraised for safety in case industrial facilities are planned for the area but also present environmental factors that should be considered at planning stages of residential and industrial estates. Key words:Geoelectric,Resistivity,Sounding,Parameters,Basement,groundwater,Environmental

Effect of Climate Change on Groundwater Resources in South West, Nigeria

This study examined the impact of climate change on groundwater resources of the south-western region of Nigeria. First, chronological climate (meteorological) and geological and hydrogeological data of Ondo State the various catchment areas within the region which spanned over a period of 30 years (1982 – 2012) were analyzed with a  view to determine whether there has been any climate change in the study area. The Meteorological data such as rainfall and temperature were obtained from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency located in Lagos, while the hydrogeological data such as borehole yield were collected from Benin-Owena river basin in Ondo state. For each location, the graphs of Rainfall versus Month and Maximum Temperature (Tmax), Minimum Temperature (Tmin) versus Month were plotted as a means of obviating the probable change in climate. It was discovered that there was a slight increase in both rainfall and the mean temperature 2% - 8% and 0.10 c – 0.70 c respectively. Thus climate change was observed as a result of increase in the average yearly rainfall and mean temperature. The effect was concluded as not pronounced or significant on the groundwater after all the analyses and studies. Keywords: groundwater, climate change, temperature, rainfall, south-western, Nigeria